Patches: Agent in Training
by ZapWBolt
Summary: Patches finally gets the chance to live his dream- become an agent at Dog World Headquarters. But once he's there, he realizes that it wasn't everything he thought it was going to be. And with a new menace approaching, Patches knows there's no turning back now. Can he rise up to the challenge, or will he crack under the pressure? (Rating may change)
1. Chapter 1: Count Down

**So I found this fan fiction that I'd already written three chapters to, so I decided to post it. I'll be updating at some point, but I'll mainly be working on my Star Wars fan fic and my original story, which has to be done by the end of the month. For now, hope you enjoy what I have so far!**

* * *

A cool breeze brushed through my fur, carrying the scent of car exhaust and day old garbage. A siren sounded in the distance stirring my slumber. I smiled, opening my eyes. I looked around my surroundings, the blurry world slowly coming into focus. I had been asleep in an alleyway that was encased in two brick walls. There were a few trash cans to my left and a dumpster to my right. Some pieces of plastic and a sheet of paper tumbled over the ground as I got up and stretched.

I was about to knock over one of the trash cans to find some breakfast when I was interrupted by a loud crash.

A gray and tan dog shot out of a hole that had once been covered by a trash bin. He looked around frantically, panting desperately before his eyes finally fell on me.

"Patches!" The dog shouted, his eyes wide. "What are you doing here?! Your owner is looking everywhere for you!"

I sighed, stretching once more and flopping onto the ground for a roll in the dust. "Hey Lucky… Sorry 'bout that. Must've fallen asleep out here by accident. I don't really think about where I spend the night."

Lucky's breathing was going increasingly more frantic. "Patches, you can't do that! Come on, Gina is going to be at the shelter any second!"

I yawned and nodded, following Lucky. "Yeah okay…"

* * *

Back at the pound, Gina and her mom were just pulling into the parking lot. Before the car even came to a stop, my person was out the door. She ran up to the kennels and her eyes darted around as she searched for me. Finally, she spotted me.

"Patches! Where have you been?" Gina stuck her fingers through the grating and I ran alongside them, letting her scratch me. "Mom! He's right here!"

Soon enough, Gina's mom had finished talking to McLeish and they had led me out of the cage. Gina hopped back into her car and she patted the seat next to her. I jumped in. Sitting in the car, I realized how much I had grown. I used to be able to curl up neatly on the car seat but now I couldn't sit there without half of me on the next seat.

I felt Gina's hand going down my back. I sighed sadly. My life had changed ever since I met Zap Wolf Bolt. Ever since I had realized that being a Pound Puppy, well it wasn't what I was meant to do. I was supposed to be an agent- an agent at Dog H.Q. I was to fight for the world and save the day. But all that meant that I… I would have to leave Gina behind.

There were times that I wondered if I was making the right decision. I felt as if I was abandoning my friends, my team and most of all, my person. But there was something calling me, telling me, leading me away to my destiny, which I was positive was to be an agent.

And nothing was going to stop me now.

* * *

It was a few days later, and I woke with a start in Gina's room. Her and her mom quickly left for work and school. I was sad to see her go; it was the last morning I got to spend with her. The day before I made sure we were together the whole time. But besides being sad, I could barely contain my excitement. Today was the day, the day I would finally achieve my goal. I was going to Dog World Headquarters with the one and only Zap Wolf Bolt. I wanted to be an agent just like he was one day. He was brave and amazing and he always got the job done. With him as my trainer, I was sure to be as great as he was.

I quickly snuck out of the house making sure that no human could see me. I darted across the lawn and sprinted my way down the street. I was going to meet Zap in the alley near the pound, the first place I had met him originally.

When I arrived at my destination, I saw the Pound Puppies team waiting for me. My friends were there as well, Rebound and Cupcake, and my three newest friends, Roy, Rosemary and Ollie.

I smiled when I saw them.

"Thanks for waiting with me guys. I don't know where I would be without you. Each and

everyone of you taught me a lesson or two, and I wouldn't be the dog I am today without

you. I'm so lucky to have friends like you." I said, wagging my tail slightly.

"Patches, you're an amazing pup. I know you'll be a great agent at H.Q.- if that's what you really want…" Lucky responded with a slight uncertainty in his voice.

"It is what I want Lucky." I pushed further into the conversation.

"Then I respect that. You have the right to make your own decisions." Lucky nodded his head with a sigh. "I wish you the best of luck at D.O.G."

"Me too. I know you'll go far." Cookie smiled kindly.

"Yeah!" The rest of the dogs agreed.

I was just about to thank them for the support when a voice came from behind the dumpster in the alley.

"Hey kid." A shaggy black dog stepped out into the open. He had a white spot on his chest that bore the symbol of a golden lightning bolt. His shining amber eyes stood out on his fur and his pointed muzzle shone with a grin. "How's it going Lucky?"

My eyes widened with excitement. Zap had arrived. And I was ready to go.

"Hello Zap." Lucky barked. "It's good to um, see you again."

"Yep, it's been a while. I'd love to stay and talk, but Shenan wants us at H.Q. at seven o'clock sharp. Wanna make a good impression on your first day, right Patches?" Zap tapped his wrist as if he was wearing a watch.

"Got that right!" I replied happily. I turned to my friends. "I guess this is goodbye- for now. I'll come back and visit!"

"Really?" Rebound asked, her expression quickly brightening.

"For sure."

So I said my last goodbyes, and Zap and I set off. I was ready to begin my new life at D.O.G.. I was ready to fulfill my destiny.


	2. Chapter 2: Arrival

I followed Zap as he darted through the city streets with extreme agility. I didn't want to admit it, but I was having a hard time keeping up. Zap was so fast and strong… How would I ever be as great of an agent as him? But I pushed myself forward. I wanted to make a good impression on him so he would know that I was going to be a hard working agent fro D.O.G.

"So how are we getting to Dog World H.Q.?" I asked Zap with a pant. "I mean, it's all the way across the country. How _did_ you get here so fast?"

I saw a smirk begin to crawl across Zap's face. "You'll see." And that was it.

We continued on for a little longer, until we finally came across an alleyway that looked darker then the rest. Rain water dripped down from rafters hanging above and the rumble of an air conditioning sounded a little ways away. Zap nodded his head down the alley, and I guessed that was where our transportation would be.

The black dog who was my guide stepped into the shadows of the buildings, and I hesitated to follow him. The alley was very dark… I shook my head snapping out of my trance. I was going to be an agent, and agents aren't afraid of dark alleyways. I quickly followed him, trotting a little while to catch up.

I finally caught sight of the end of Zap's tail, and I followed it as it waved through the darkness. I was just about to ask Zap where we were going when I was startled by a sudden voice. It had come from behind a trash can that I was very close to, and I quickly backed up.

"Hey there Zap." There was the voice again. My heart began to pound as Zap turned around to see who had spoken.

A little scruffy white dog stepped out into view. His course fur formed a little beard on his chin and tufts on his half flopped ears. There was a gray spot around his eye that had clearly once been pure black. It had faded with age, and I was sure the rest of him would have gone white if it hadn't been already. The eye with the patch was half closed, and the area around it was bald, showing pale pink skin.

"Oh hello Scruff." Zap greeted. _What an original name,_ I thought as he said this.

"Who's this?" Scruff asked, smiling at me. I wasn't sure whether it was a friendly or sinister smile. The old dog's teeth were tinted yellow and stained with age.

"This is Patches. I'm taking him to H.Q. to be my trainee." Zap replied.

"Ah, it's always good to see young dogs starting off as agents." Scruff said raspily as he stepped closer to study me. "You know, I used to be an agent myself... Ah, those were the golden days…." Scruff had a far away look on his face as began to remember his life as an agent.

I began to relax when I realized the old dog was no threat. "What happened to you?"

"This, my friend." Scruff pointed to his eyes. I held back to study it. I didn't want to seem rude. "I'm blind."

When he said this I noticed the clouding over his eyes. I had just believed they were a very light blue originally, but Scruff was in fact blind. I wondered what it was like not to be able to see. He couldn't see me or Zap, but he could smell us. I guessed that's why having such a strong sense of smell was a good thing.

"I may be able to find my way around my home with my sense of smell and hearing, but an agent needs to have sharp eyesight to locate any approaching attack and whatnot." Scruff explained. "I could have gotten the cataracts removed, but what's the point? I'm old, and I'm doing just fine here on my own."

I heard Zap sigh. "Scruff here used to be part of our team. The Alpha A team includes some of the best agents, and Scruff was one of them."

"Sadly, I only got into the team in my last few months before I became blind." Scruff turned his snout to the ground. "I guess that's the way it goes."

Zap nodded sadly. "I'll say hi to Buster for you, since you guys were such good friends. But we have to go. Shenan is expecting us soon."

"Well it's nice to hear a familiar voice." Scruff's mood lifted quickly with a smile spreading across his face. "I hope you do well in your training." And with that, Scruff was gone.

"Thank you." I murmured quietly, and turned to follow Zap who had continued walking.

There was still a little ways away to our transportation system. I had believed it was in the alley, but we had left there a while back. I trailed behind Zap, trying to match his quick pace as I enjoyed the sounds of the city. Cars breezed by, their engines growling and people conversed with each other as they lumbered down the sidewalk. Suddenly, we came to an abrupt halt. I almost slammed into Zap, but I was able to stop myself in time. I looked forward to see where we were. It was another alley, but it was much longer then the last. Straight down it, I could see nothing but a once green dumpster that had half of its paint peeling off.

"Here we are." Zap said, his eyes squinting as he gazed down the alley. "C' mon."

Zap picked up a quick little trot and I did as well. Soon, we were right near the dumpster.

"You ready for this?" Zap asked me with a grin on his face. Without waiting for an answer, he placed his paw onto a dusty brick next to the dumpster. I gasped as a blue light when up and down the brick, scanning his paw. Then, to my surprise, the dumpster slowly began to slide away.

"Stand right here." Zap walked onto the place where the dumpster had been, and I followed him with only slight hesitation. "Kid, prepare yourself for your very first D.O.G. Rocket Sled experience." Zap gave me an excited smirk.

Suddenly, I felt the floor giving way underneath me. I yelped and closed my eyes. When I opened them, I saw I was sitting on a leather seat inside a streamlined vehicle. The dashboard was covered with different button and levers, but the one that stood out the most was a lever that was marked _K1_ to _K9._

"Let's do this thing!" Zap pushed the lever all the way up, and rockets fired behind. There was a jolt as the vehicle sprung forward, and soon we were cruising along a transparent tunnel. I gave a shout of fear and excitement as the Rocket Sled went through a loop. Soon, there were even more twists and turns. I wished that it would all stop before I lost my stomach.

"Yep boss. I've got him. Having a fun time on the ride, aren't ya rookie?" Zap chuckled. "Anyway, we're about to pull into port. Okay, we'll meet you in ten minutes."

I hollered once more as the transportation shot forwards. Below us I could see bubbling lava and pieces of molten rock floating through it. But the thing that caught my eye the most, the the huge structure in front of us. Lights of all colors shone from it, and I could just make out the symbol on the side. It was a golden pawprint with blue lettering saying, _Dog World Headquarters._

We had arrived at our destination.


	3. Chapter 3: Alpha Shenan

Before I knew it, the Rocket Sled ride was over. The vehicle flew into a port by the side of H.Q. and it quickly slowed to a stop. The door flipped upwards, steam spraying out of the vehicle creating a very futuristic look. Zap hopped out of the Rocket Sled, not a bit dizzy or dazed. I, on the other paw, was not feeling very well. My head was spinning and my stomach was churning, but I did my best to climb out of the vehicle without toppling over.

"How did you like the ride, rookie?" Zap grinned at me with a little chuckle. "You don't look too bad. I remember my first ride…" Zap got a far away look on his face but he quickly snapped out of it.

I tried to put a brave face on as I followed Zap up onto a platform in front of a large, titanium door. There was a small pedestal with a computer fixed upon it on the platform and Zap walked up to it.

"Lesson number one. How to get into H.Q. Watch closely." Zap turned to the computer. Displayed on the screen was a blue pawprint that glowed brightly. The words, _SCAN HERE,_ were located under the paw print.

"Greetings Agent Zap." A mechanical voice said. "Scan pawprint now." Zap did as he was told and the same blue light from the dumpster shone across the screen. "Access granted."

The titanium door split into four parts that moved into a slit in the doorway. I swallowed, but when I saw what was behind the door I nearly choked on my own saliva.

It amazing.

This place, Dog World Headquarters, was so much more than I had imagined. I gasped, my eyes going wide and my heart rate increasing. My eyes darted around, picking up everything in front of me.

It was gigantic. The main floor shone like silver, freshly polished. The same golden paw print that I saw on the outside of H.Q. was in the center of the floor. Directly behind the main floor were a few elevators that lead up to the top floors. There was a walkway jutting out from each floor and dogs walked in and out of each door. All of the doors were numbered according the the floor number. On the very top floor, which was the fifth floor, was a single room with a golden door. A smaller version of the logo was engraved on it, and I could just make out the text, _Primus Canis._

On the left side of the main floor were three tunnels, labeled _Tunnel A, Tunnel B and Tunnel C._ There were computer screens near the entrance of the tunnels listing what could be found there. On the right side of the floor were two large sections with glass windows labeled _Main Training Floor_ and _Technology and Science Center._

"Pretty awesome, eh?" Zap smiled, stepping down a small bit of stairs.

"Wow…" was the only word I could manage to choke out.

Zap laughed. "Yep. That's D.O.G. World for you. Now c'mon. Shenan is expecting us."

I followed Zap over the main floor. I could barely walk on it. It was so polished that I couldn't help but skid a little. How was Zap walking so perfectly across it? The black dog lead me to one of the elevators, which we promptly clambered onto. Zap pressed the fifth button on the inside wall of the elevator, and the doors slid shut.

The elevator was quite nice. It was shiny, not a smudge on the silver walls. There were golden railings along the side of it, and a red carpet covered the floor.

"Now, for lesson number two." Zap said. "When you see Shenan, you don't just call her _Shenan._ You call her _ma'am,_ or _Alpha Shenan._ Just a standard protocol, you know, respecting your superiors."

"Yes… sir." I replied, unsure.

Zap snorted. "Aw, you don't have to call me that. Just Zap. I was never much for the formal stuff."

The elevator made a shrill ringing sound when it reached our floor. The doors slid open and we traversed across the railed balcony. We paused in front of the golden door.

"You know what those words mean?" Zap asked. When I shook my head, he continued. "They're latin. They mean _first dog._ "

"Oh." I said, not knowing what else to do.

"You ready for this?" I was asked. I nodded, taking a deep breath. Zap pushed the buzzer on the side of the wall and the golden door slid open.

The inside of the office was grand. The floor was a reddish hardwood, making for a cozier feel, and the walls were a pale green. There was an open door on the side of the left wall, that I assumed was a bathroom.

In the center of the office was a large, wooden desk. It was covered in picture frames and trinkets of all sorts, and a laptop type computer was placed in the center. A large screen was placed behind the desk and it displayed pictures of different locations around the world and their coordinates. A spinning globe was located in the center of the screen.

On the right side of the office were a few leather sofa pieces and a coffee table. A coffee machine was placed in the center of the table and a nice arrangement of flowers were located near it.

Behind the desk was a small dog. She wasn't tiny, maybe around forty to fifty pounds, but she was much smaller than Zap and I. The dog had a reddish coat color, with deep brown points on her muzzle, ears, back and paws. Her underbelly was a lighter tan. The dog's ears were small triangles and her muzzle was not very long and a bit boxy. She was wearing a light blue bowtie and large, black rimmed glasses. She looked up at us as we entered, revealing her eye color as a deep amber.

"Alpha." Zap said, walking towards the desk to shake her paw.

"Agent." The dog replied, taking his paw and giving it a firm shake. After shaking Zap's paw, she looked past him to see me.

"Ma'am…?" I said nervously with a quick bow of my head.

"Rookie." The dog said, giving me a stern look as she studied me. She must have seen a concerned look on my face because she gave a small smile. "You can come closer. I don't bite. Well, only if I need to."

Both Zap and the dog laughed, and I stepped closer. _I would be sweating right now if it was possible._ I thought to myself.

"So, Agent in Training Patches, my name is Alpha Shenan and I lead this organisation. You have been tested and the results have proven that you are fit to be an agent here at Dog World Headquarters." Shenan began. "Now, you must understand that the job of an agent is a very difficult and dangerous job. You must be both mentally and physically ready if you want to become a fully fledged agent some day. Your training may seem harsh, but it is going to prepare you for what lies ahead in your future here. From what I have seen, you display important qualities that we look for when choosing new agents. Leadership, loyalty, bravery and strength are things we like to see, and you display all of these traits. Being an agent is a very rewarding job, but it is not easy. The induction ceremony for new agents is being held in three days, so you have these three days to decide if this is really what you want. Personally, I think you will make a great addition to our team, and I hope you decide to stay. But for now, you will be taking part in basic training classes to see what this job is all about. Is this clear?"

"Yes Ma'am." I responded. I took a deep breath, my mind racing. I wanted to be an agent so badly, but Shenan's speech had made me think. Was I really ready to take on this huge responsibility? I was about to find out.


	4. Chapter 4: Meeting the Team

Zap and I had left Shenan's office. Zap was walking back towards the elevator, going on about his first training class at H.Q., but his voice was only a buzz in my ears. I stood gazing out over the balcony at the main floor, locked to the spot. I watched the busy agents zooming around going in and out of the tunnels and doors. Everything was so… so awesome. Before I had heard of Dog Headquarters, I could never have imagined a place like this. And now, I had the opportunity to become a part of it.

"Kid." Zap's voice broke my train of thought. "Kid, are you okay?"

I shook my head, turning to face Zap. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just still amazed by how cool this place is."

Zap smiled. "Ah, I know. It's pretty overwhelming, but you'll get used to it."

He was right. It was very overwhelming. The entire package. Not just Headquarters, but what Shenan had said to me back in the office. It was a lot to take in, and I was pretty nervous, but I didn't want to let Zap know. I wanted to impress him, make him think that I could handle anything and I was ready for this. I wanted to be an agent, but I didn't realize how hard it was going to be.

"Anyway," Zap continued. "Let's go meet the team. They'll make you feel right at home."

I nodded, following Zap back into the elevator. We went back down to the first floor and walked (I skidded) to tunnel A. I looked at list of what was located down the tunnel.

 _Agent housing unit 1_

 _Agent housing unit 2_

 _Department of Law Enforcement_

 _Health Department_

 _Hospital and Rehabilitation Area_

 _File Vaults- AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY_

 _Credit Vaults- AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY_

There was also a map below the list showing where each place was located and the best way to get there.

"Lesson number three." Zap said, turning from the map to face me. "Don't go _anywhere_

near any place that's labeled 'authorized personnel only'. You don't want to piss off the department workers. Trust me, I would know."

"Okay," I said, not sure how to respond.

Zap and I proceeded down the tunnel, until we got to a large set of glass doors. Behind them, I could see about fifty large doghouses. Dogs of all shapes and sizes rushed in and out of the doors, all looking like they had somewhere important to be. Zap scanned his paw on the side of the door and it slid open. I followed him nervously inside; I wanted to make sure I made the best impression on the team that I could. They were well respected agents, as they had completed many dangerous missions and performed amazing feats.

"You know Rocky already," Zap said, pointing to a black and brown Rottweiler who was standing outside of a doghouse in a group of other dogs. One was a smaller, younger Rottweiler who looked quite a bit like Rocky. "And Roscoe."

"ZAP!" A high pitched voice screeched. Out of nowhere, a shaggy chocolate Newfoundland dog jumped in front of Zap and I with a giant smile on her face. "Omigoh! Is this your new trainee!?"

Zap nodded. "This is Patches. Patches, meet Ivy."

I quietly said hello, a bit intimidated by Ivy's copious amounts of energy. Rebound, my friend back at Shelter 17, was quite exuberant herself, but I had not been expecting someone like Ivy to pop out at us.

As Ivy and Zap talked a little, I looked around at the group of dogs nearby. They were all chatting about missions, work and various other topics. I couldn't believe that I would one day get to be part of this amazing team.

"Hey Patches!" Someone called out. I turned my head to see Roscoe and a young German Shepherd I had been friends with named Dexter coming towards me.

"Hey guys!" I smiled, trotting over to my friends. It was good to talk to someone I knew.

"I can't believe you're really here!" Dexter barked excitedly.

"I can't believe _I'm_ actually here!" I exclaimed. "I've been dreaming about this ever since I heard about D.O.G.!"

"Is Zap introducing you to the team?" Roscoe asked.

I nodded. "I already know you guys of course. And I know Rocky, Buster and Oscar. I just met Ivy. Who else is there to meet?"

"Well, there's Alley, Ginger, Gizmo, Widget, Summer, Bailey, Mistrel and Sam," Roscoe said, listing the names slowly and carefully. "Summer, Bailey and Mistrel are regular agents, Ginger works in the hospital, Gizmo and Widget work in the Science Department and Sam and Alley are cats."

I tilted my head to the side. "Cats?"

Dexter nodded. "Yep. They work at M.E.O.W.S., an agency kind of like ours except they're cats. Good cats. We started working with them a few years ago, and a few of their agents were moved to work on some of our teams and vice versa."

I nodded, not fully understanding, but I put it aside. There was so much to learn, but I couldn't worry about all of it at the moment. I had to take it one step at a time.

While Dexter, Roscoe and I had been talking Zap had come up behind us. Two dogs, one a Beagle and the other a Chihuahua, were standing behind him. The Beagle had the typical black, brown and white saddle pattern, and the Chihuahua was brown and white with giant ears.

"Patches, meet Widget," Zap said. The Chihuahua waved. "And Gizmo," The Beagle waved.

I nodded. "Hello,"

"Welcome to H.Q.!" Widget yipped. "Gizmo and I are the tech agents on this team. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask!"

As I talked with the two tech agents, a tall, brindle Greyhound, a feathery Golden Retriever, a large black lab, a gray cat and a brown tabby cat walked up. Buster, Oscar and Rocky followed behind the other group. Buster and Oscar were both German Shepherds, Oscar being Dexter's father, and Rocky was a Rottweiler like his son, Roscoe.

"Well here's the rest of the team," Zap said. "Except for Mistrel. Where is that pup?"

"She's training with Agent Lily," The Golden Retriever barked happily. "She should be done soon!"

Zap nodded. "Well, guys, this is my new trainee Patches."

The outgoing Golden Retriever was the first to introduce herself. "I'm Summer!"

The lab went next. She was much calmer and more reserved. "I'm Bailey."

Next, the Greyhound stepped up. "I'm Ginger. I'm a doctor at the H.Q. hospital."

The two cats were up next. The tabby stepped up first. "I'm Alley. I'm a M.E.O.W.S. agent."

The gray cat came forward. I hadn't seen him very well before but now I noticed that he had only one eye, and the eye he had was clouded over in a blueish gray milky film. "I'm Sam. I work at M.E.O.W.S. as well."

Sam had fascinated me. He must have been blind, with an eye like that, but somehow he was still an agent. The dog we had met in the city, Scruff, was blind, and he had retired because of it. How could Sam fight crime with vision like that?

"You're going to have an awesome time here!" Summer yelled excitedly. Bailey shot her a stern look. "What?"

As I looked around the room, I felt Zap's gaze upon me. I turned around, to see him studying me intently with a fierce look.

"What?" I asked nervously.

Zap shook his head, breaking out of what seemed like a trance. "Uh, sorry. I was just thinking."

I nodded, unsure. It felt like he was hiding something. But I couldn't worry about that now. I was finally here, meeting the epic team that had saved the world countless times. And I was going to become part of it one day.

* * *

 **Hi people! This chapter was a bit slow, I know. But I'm working on the next chapter of my Star Wars fan fic, and I'm wrapping up the first draft of my original story. Hopefully I can devote more time to other fan fics soon! I'm planning to start working on my YJ one again, and my MLP fic, _The Heart of a Warrior._ Keep on the lookout for updates soon, and hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


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